Shoe with expansible opening



Nov. 24, 1936. F. P. WAGNER 2,061,746

SHOE WITH EXPANSIBLE OPENING Filed May 13, 1955 I :me/whew:

FQEDEP/CK F? M16/VER,

Patented Nov. 24, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Frederick P. Wagner, St. Louis, Mo., assgnor of one-half to Arthur J. Brauer, St. Louis, M0.

Application May 13, 1935, Serial No. 21,073

6 Claims.

This invention relates generally to shoes, and particularly to a construction and arrangement whereby the harshness usually prevalent about the opening of a shoe is alleviated. As to common subject matter, this application is a continuation in part of application, Serial No. 713,- 785, filed March 3, 1934.

As is well known, the edge of the upper of a shoe, which forms the opening into which the foot is inserted, frequently presents a harshness,

which renders the shoe uncomfortable, particularly when new. According to the style of the shoe, this harshness may be encountered most severely at the back or at the throat, and some times is encountered along the intermediate portion of the opening. In accordance with the shoe and process of making it, described in my prior co-pending application, an arrangement is provided whereby this harshness is relieved at the throat portion in a convenient and economical manner and without disturbing the lines and contour of the shoe and without impairing its attractiveness. In accordance with the present invention, the harshness at other regions in the shoe is alleviated b-y arranging the upper so as to be yieldable and providing means for retracting the upper to its normal configuration when the pressure thereon is relieved; Accordingly, when a foot is inserted into the shoe, the regions 'of contact, in which the harshness of the upper would ordinarily be felt, are sulciently distorted from their normal conguration to relieve that harshness but when the shoe is removed from the foot, the upper resumes its normal shape.

The object. of the present invention, generally stated, is, therefore, to provide a shoe wherein the harshness of the upper about the opening is relieved.

A further object of this invention is to provide a shoe having yieldable portions about the opening thereof, but so constructed and arranged as to present a good appearance.

A further object of this invention is to provide yieldable side and back portions in the upper of a shoe adjacent the opening.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a shoe upper having a yieldable section integral with the exterior quarter sections and 50 arranged to be retracted to normal shape when pressure thereon is relieved.

Other objects will become apparent to those skilled in the art when the following description is read in connection with the accompany- 55 ing drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe showing a resilient section along the side of the opening, in accordance with one embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a rear View of an unlasted shoe up- 5 per having a yieldable portion at the back thereof, in accordance With another embodiment of this invention.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Figure 2. l0

Figure 4 is a detail plan view showing a part of the pattern of the quarter section employed in the embodiment of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a view corresponding to Figure 2, but showing another embodiment of the present l5 invention.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7-is a plan View showing the pattern of the quarter section employed in the embodi- 20 ment of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken along'line 8-8 of Figure 1.

In accordance with the present invention, generally stated, Aa shoe upper may be provided with 25 a yieldable section adjacent the opening which is so constructed as to blend with the lines of a shoe, or, that is to say, render a minimum disturbance to the normal contour of the shoe. Such resilient sections may, in accordance with an 30 embodiment of the present invention, be an integral part of the exterior quarter section of the shoe and the resilient region may be relatively narrow and extending along the opening so as to maintain the attractiveness of the shoe. In accordance with one embodiment, the quarter section may be provided with an extension arranged to be folded over to provide the opening line of the shoe and crosswise of the folded line, a plurality of slits may be provided so as to make this section of the upper yieldable. Within the fold thus provided, an elastic member, such as a strip of rubber or so-called elastic, may be inserted so as to cause the upper to resume its natural shape when pressure thereon is relieved.

Referring now particularly to Figures 1, 7 and 8, the shoe may be provided with an exterior upper part, comprising quarter sections l and 2. As shown particularly in Figure 7, these quarter sections may be provided with an extension 3, ex 50 tending outwardly beyond the opening line 4. Accordingly, if the extension 3 be folded along line 4, an opening of the usual contour is obtained. With some types of shoe upper material suicient yield is obtained by the inherent stretching of the material itself, but with other types of shoe upper material, additional yield may be obtained by providing a series of slits 5, extending crosswise of the line 4. These slits may extend to the edge of extension 3, or may terminate short thereof, as shown.

A resilient member 1, which may be in the form of a strip of rubber or elastic, may be applied to the quarter section 2 in any suitable manner, as by cementing. The member 1 may be cemented to the adjacent quarter section 2 throughout its length, or in spots, as desired, it being understood that when the member 'I is applied it is taut but not stretched, and hence when a pressure is exerted against that region, the member 'I will stretch to permit the adjacent quarter section to stretch, but when that pressure is removed, the member 'I will resume its normal length and thereby restore the upper to its normal shape.

The shoe may be provided with the usual doubler 8, and a suitable lining 9, as shown in Figure 8. In some regions of the shoe, a counter I0 will lie between the lining and the exterior quarter section, as shown in Figure 8.

When the parts are assembled, the lining 9 may be secured to the adjacent exterior section, as by a line of stitching I I, but, as shown in Figure 8, the upper edge I 2 of the lining in this region may lie somewhat below the fold line 4 so as to expose on the interior of the shoe the folded-over extension 3, which, as above noted, is yieldable. If, however, the lining has substantial resilience, it may extend to or near the fold line 4.

In Figures 2, 3 and 4, the present invention is illustrated as embodied in a hurley such as is frequently employed in mens shoes. Such a hurley may, if desired be made integral with one of the quarter sections, so as to overlap the other, or mayv be a separate piece overlying both quarter sections, both of which are common practice. The ordinary hurley is a crescent-shaped part arranged at the back of a shoe and overlapping one or both quarters at the top of the -back seam. It is folded over the edge of the exterior quarters at the back of the shoe so as to cover the back seam at the top thereof.

As shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, an exterior quarte I5 may be provided with an extension I6 to form the hurley. As shown, particularly in Figure 4, the extension I6 extends beyond a line I1 which is the opening line of the shoe, so as to permit the extension to be folded down at that line. In accordance with this embodiment, a plurality of slits I8 may be provided crosswise oi' line I1 so as to render the hurley yieldable to the desired extent, and suitably secured within the fold may be a strip of elastic material such as rubber I9. As in the previous embodiment, a doubler 20 and lining 2I may be provided, between which a counter 22 is disposed. As in the previous embodiment, the lining 2| may terminate below the folded edge of hurley I6 and may, if desired, be skived, as shown at 23. The elastic member I9 may', as before, be suitably secured to the exterior upper section as by application of cement throughout its length, or in spots, as desired. Moreover, it will be understood that the doubler 20 may terminate below the edge of elastic member I9 instead of overlapping it, as shown in Figure 3.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, a separate hurley 24 is provided. In this case an elastic member 25 is suitably secured on the interior of the hurley and the hurley is then folded over so as to enclose the elastic, as clearly shown in Figure 6. As will be understood, the construction in this case is identical with the construction in the previous embodiment, except that the hurley 24 is an entirely separate piece and not integral with one of the quarter sections as in the previous embodiment.

It will be understood, of course, that the cross sections illustrated in Figures 3, 6 and 8 are substantially enlarged so as to clearly indicate the relation of parts, and it will be understood that in the manufacture of shoes, the parts are drawn taut and so compressed that the void spaces will be almost entirely eliminated.

From the foregoing description it should be apparent that the invention accomplishes its objects and that a shoe is provided wherein the harshness of the upper about the opening is al- 1eviated,whi1e at the same time, good appearance is maintained.

It is apparent that many modifications of the construction and arrangement hereinbefore described will present themselves to those skilled .In the art without departing from the spirit of this invention. It is to be distinctly understood, therefore, that such modications and the use of such individual features and sub-combination of features as do not depart from the spirit of this invention are, although not specically described herein, contemplated by and within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. A shoe comprising, relative non-resilient exterior quarter sections extending along and forming the opening for the shoe, a hurley at the back of said shoe having a folded edge arranged in marginal continuity with said quarter sections, said folded edge being longitudinally yieldable, and elastic means within the fold of said hurley arranged to restrain yielding thereof.

2. A shoe of the kind described having an exterior upper portion continuing about the rear thereof, the part of said upper portion at the top in the rear of the shoe being folded over and formed to yield at the fold, and means cooperating with said yielding portion arranged to retract the same lengthwise of the fold.

3. A shoe comprising an upper having an exterior quarter section formed and arranged to provide an opening of regular marginal contour and extending about the rear thereof, a narrow lengthwise yieldable roll integral with said quarter section and extending as a chord across the rear of said opening, said roll merging with the upper without substantially interrupting the regular marginal contour of the opening.

4. A shoe comprising an upper formed to provide an elongated opening of regular contour having an arcuate rear portion, an elastic member extending as a chord across said arcuate rear portion, and upper material extending over the edge of said elastic member, said material being slit lengthwise of the opening where it turns over the edge of said elastic member so as to form a yieldable roll extending across the arcuate rear portion of the opening.

5. A shoe comprising an upper having exterior quarter sections formed and arranged to provide an opening of regular marginal contour and extending about the rear thereof, and a narrow lengthwise yieldable roll integral with one of said quarter sections and extending as a. chord across the rear of said opening, said roll being provided with slits and merging with the upper without substantially interrupting the regular sides, said rear portion having a. part folded inoontour of the opening. wardly at the top and arranged to yield length- 6. A shoe comprising an upper having exterior wise oi the fold, and an elastic member attached sections formed to provide an opening having to said upper section within the fold at the rear 5 continuous uninterrupted side portionsand a rear portion of the upper.

portion in regular marginal continuity with'the FREDERICK P. WAGNER. 

